Pictorial and Genealogical Record
of Greene County, Missouri

Together with Bibliographies of Prominent Men of Other Portions of the State, Both Living and Dead

M. SCHARFF & BRO. The subject of this sketch comes of a thrifty, industrious and fore-handed Hebrew family, well known inBavaria where the father of the subject of this sketch, Simon Scharff, was a broker of prominence, but is now a retired citizen of the town in which his operations were conducted so successfully-Landan. He was married to Barbara Gall, and intime a family of six children gathered about their board: Bertha, Edward, Nathan, Max, Theodore, and Isadore, all of whom were born in the village of Essengen, three miles from Landan, to which latter place the family moved in 1861. The children were reared in that place, which consisted of 12,000 inhabitants, andthere they were given excellent educational advantages and fitted in other ways for the practical duties of life. The father of these children is living at the age of 75 years, is in good circumstances andis highly regarded inthe community in which he lives, for heis of a genial and kindly disposition, affable andcordial to all. He is proud of having reared a respectable, intelligent and well-to-do family of children, three of whomare residents of America: Max, Theodore and Isadore. The two first mentioned are successful business menof Springfield, but are also connected with interests in St. Louis, and are wide awake, pushing andintelligent men of affairs. Isadore is a professor of music, and is the principal andproprietor of a Conservatory of Music in the city of New York, and takes a high rank in his profession. Theodore Scharff, a member. of thefirm of M. Scharff & Bro., remained in his native landuntil 1881, then came to America, and in company with his brother, Max, who had come to this country in 1872, he engaged in the general mercantile business at St. Joseph, La., but three months later they were unfortunately burned out, after which, with characteristic energy, they took charge of four stores belonging to the large cotton firm of V. and A. Meyer & Co., of New Orleans. One of these stores was located on Cora plantation, one on Anandale plantation, oneon Doreville plantation, and the fourth and last on Araby plantation. For ten years the brothers managed those stores successfully, and during this time accumulated sufficient meansto enable them to engage in awholesale liquor business at Springfield, Mo., in 1891, but they soon discovered that there was not enough business to be done inSpringfield to maintain a wholesale house, they converted their business into a retail trade, principally, although they still do a small wholesale trade also. They are connected with the large wholesale liquor firm of L. & A. Scharff, of St. Louis, cousins of the subjects of this sketch. M. Scharff, of St. Louis, is manager of the Cheltenham Mercantile Co., of which the brothers became proprietors six months since. Like the majority of their countrymen the brothers have prospered in business, and carry a large and select stock of imported and domestic wines and liquors of all kinds, for family and general use. These gentlemen belong to that class of citizens who manifest a decided aptitude for business enterprise, and who rise ina few years from a position of poverty and obscurity to oneof prominence, and possession of considerable wealth. They have made many friends during their residence in Springfield, and are considered wide-awake and honorable men, anxious to serve their patrons in an acceptable manner, and keep acreditable and quiet house, which is patronized by the elite of the city. Theodore Scharff is a member of the A. F. & A. M., the I. O. O. F., andpolitically is a Democrat.